Elevator cab interiors typically have lighting disposed in their ceilings and one or more car operating panels ("COP") in their walls. The lighting provides both a safety function and an aesthetic function. A disadvantage of the mounting the lighting in the ceiling is that access to the lighting is limited.
The cover of the COP comprises controls and/or information display devices for manipulating the components contained within the COP. In most instances, the cover to the COP is pivotly mounted on one side of the COP by at least one hinge to permit access to the components mounted within the COP.
Pivotly mounting the cover on one side of the COP has a number of disadvantages. In applications where the area around the COP is confined, for example, it is difficult to access the components mounted in the COP and the cover when the cover is pivoted away from the COP. As a result, it is necessary to repeatedly pivot the cover during servicing.
In applications where a wall or structure is in close proximity to only one side of the COP, the aforementioned access problem can be overcome by pivotly mounting the cover on the side of the COP away from the wall or the structure. This solution, however, mandates that there be a left and a right hand COP available. Two different COP increases the overall cost of the COP as well as the chance for error.
Accordingly, what is needed is one COP, having cab lighting, which allows access to the components mounted therein when the COP is mounted in confined spaces.